Month: October 2015
(page 1 of 8)

Entertainment industry powerhouses Bernadette Giacomazzo and MJ Deskovic — who first came to prominence a decade ago when they dropped the first edition of the seminal Swimming with Sharks: A Real-World, How-To Guide to Success (and Failure) in the Business of Music — have updated, and re-released, the book, which is now available in print and digital formats.

The duo have pledged $1 of each net sale from their book to go to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing entertainment and educational opportunities for children in hospitals across the country. Both women are ongoing supporters of the Foundation, and are committed to the entertainment industry’s spirit of “giving back” to those less fortunate.

Swimming with Sharks: A Real World, How To Guide to Success (and Failure) in the Business of Music (in the 21st Century) has been updated & re-released, but still retains all its original wit & wisdom. What began as a conversation on MySpace earned countless indie book accolades & awards, launched the successful mainstream careers of its two authors, and taught countless musicians about the in’s and out’s of the shark-infested business of music.

“When MJ and I first wrote Swimming with Sharks ten years ago, all we wanted to do was educate the artists we were working with,” said Giacomazzo. “We never, in a million years, dreamed that the book would open up a world of opportunities for us in the entertainment industry. But once it did, we felt that the only right thing to do was to give back to those less fortunate…our debt of gratitude, in one way, but our pleasure and our honor in another.”

“The Ryan Seacrest Foundation is a perfect combination of everything Bernadette and I stand for,” added Deskovic. “We believe in the spirit of charity, and we believe that both educational and entertainment opportunities should be made available to everyone…especially children, and most especially children in hospitals. We’re pleased to support the Foundation every way we know how, and we’re especially pleased to impart our hard-earned wisdom to those who need it in the form of this updated version of our book.”

The new edition of the book now features sound advice for music industry professionals, exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, and insightful updates about the original cast of characters from the first edition of the book.

But in between the tales of the tape about celebrities from Kanye West (very nice) to Nick Lachey (not so much), and the hilarious quips from other industry insiders, is a book that’s chock full of essential tips that every musician & aspiring industry professional — regardless of genre — can take to heart and apply to his/her successful entertainment industry career…without getting eaten by the industry’s sharks.

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Here are some of the reviews from the first edition of the book:

• “They don’t pull any punches…they write well with a keen eye on how the music business has changed beyond recognition.” – Metal 4 Life (UK)

• “A no-nonsense, tough-love book about the music industry.” – NYScene.com

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